B-C has reported nine-thousand 332 new cases of the virus since Friday. It says numbers are largely driven by the highly-contagious Omicron variant and the large number of people visiting testing sites over the weekend. Health officials say there are now more than 264-thousand active cases in the province. The B-C government says these numbers are preliminary and the health ministry will report updated case numbers, vaccinations, hospitalizations and deaths later today.
B-C’s courts are postponing in-person trials this week as they work with public health officials to update their COVID-19 safety policies. The Supreme Court is asking all lawyers and accused people with scheduled appearances this week to phone the court at the time of their proceeding to arrange a new date. The provincial court says it will be contacting people scheduled to appear this week in small claims or family court to reschedule. The courts say all virtual proceedings will continue as planned.
B.C. has expanded the COVID-19 booster shot eligibility to anyone above 18-years-old, but many are still wondering when they will get invitations to book their appointments. On Friday, the province announced the shift from an age-based rollout to anyone who has received their second vaccine six months ago or more. However many people are saying they haven’t received their invitation and know people who have despite having had their second dose after. There are 800,000 people past 182 days since their second dose in B.C.
Despite efforts to keep hummingbird feeders from freezing during B.C.’s recent cold snap, many local birds have had to be rescued as a result of the winter blast. The Wildlife Rescue Association says 53 hummingbirds were brought into its care during the last week of December, a huge increase from the four brought in during the same time period a year earlier. The birds have cold-induced injuries including frostbitten and damaged tongues as well as hypothermia.
Surrey welcomed it’s first baby of 2022 on New Year’s Day. According to Fraser Health, a Langley couple celebrated the birth of their third child at Surrey Memorial Hospital, introducing baby Joshua to the world at 12:05 a.m. on Jan. 1. – just one minute later than the province’s first baby of the year.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the province isnentering a different COVID-19 storm due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. In her first update of the new year, Henry said the province will likely be dealing with a lot of people who need to stay home in the next few weeks because they are ill and need to isolate. She says businesses need to anticipate that up to a third of their workforce may become ill at any one time and they’ll have to adapt to operate with reduced numbers. Henry is also calling for schools to put contingency plans in place to deal with staff needing to stay home.
The latest data on B-C property assessments shows a massive jump in the value of real estate in some smaller towns as people leave urban areas looking for cheaper homes or retirement options. The figures show market value as of last July was up more than 40 per cent in Hope, Port Alberni, Lake Cowichan and other rural areas. That compares to an average increase of seven per cent in Vancouver. B-C Assessment says homeowners provincewide can expect higher assessment values again this year but those large increases don’t necessarily mean corresponding property tax increases.
Police say a 19-year-old man has been charged in the stabbing of two people at a park in North Delta last summer. Delta police say the victims suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries in the attack in Gunderson Park early in the morning on July 11th. They say Crown counsel approved two charges last month of aggravated assault against Balraj Nijjar of Delta. Police say the stabbing was related to a conflict between individuals who are known to each other and there is no connection to the Lower Mainland Gang conflict.
Police say they believe a shooting incident last weekend in New Westminster was targeted and there is no increased risk to the public. Police say shots were fired at a residence in the city early Sunday morning. They say the occupants of the home were inside at the time but fortunately no one was injured. Police say they have canvassed the area for security video footage and interviewed witnesses but are asking anyone with dashcam footage to contact them.
A 39-year-old Vancouver man has been charged with one count of manslaughter in the death of a 60-year-old man last summer. Police say the man was assaulted and knocked unconscious in Grandview Park on Commercial Drive on August 5th. He died of his injuries later that same day. Police say the accused was arrested on Saturday after a five-month investigation.
The frontman for the Canadian band Hedley has once again seen his sexual assault trial postponed as a result of COVID-19. Jacob Hoggard (HOH’-gard) was initially set to stand trial in January 2021, but that was pushed back to April of that year, and then again to this month. Now, as jury trials are again put on hold due to the pandemic, his case has been delayed until at least February. Hoggard pleaded not guilty at his preliminary hearing to sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual interference.
After a year of scandal, the Golden Globes will be handed out on Sunday — to no one. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has revealed that there will be a ceremony of some kind, at the Globes’ usual home of The Beverly Hilton Hotel, but no stars or nominees will be there. Variety reports that the organization tried, and failed, to secure celebrity presenters. Last year N-B-C pulled out as the Globes’ broadcast partner after it was revealed that the organization had no Black members, and there was allegedly a lot of corruption.